Aloys Lütolf

An ecclesiastical historian, born 23
July, 1824, in Gettnau near Willisau (Switzerland); died at
Lucerne, 8 April, 1879. He made his early studies at the Jesuit
College of Schwyz, and at the Lyceum at Lucerne, where he became
an enthusiastic student of history. But as the political situation
at that time did not permit of serious study, Lütolf, with a
number of students of like youthful ardour, placed themselves in
1847 at the disposal of their country. For a time Lütolf was
employed as private secretary at Lucerne, and also took part in
the expedition of the Sonderbund army into the Canton of Ticino.
From 1847 to 1849 he studied theology and history at Freiburg in
Baden and at Munich, and in 1850 was ordained priest at Solothurn.
After serving on the mission for a time, he taught history from
1852 to 1856 at the Catholic cantonal school of St. Gall. On the
suppression of this school, Lütolf became parish priest at
Lucerne. In 1864 he was appointed viceregent of the clerical
seminary at Solothurn, in 1858 professor of church history, and
shortly afterwards canon of St. Leodegar's chapter at Lucerne. In
1859 he began to publish his investigations made at St. Gall. The
most important are "Sagen, Gebräuche und Legenden aus
den fünf Orten" (Lucerne, 1865) and "Glaubensboten
der Schweiz vor St. Gallus" (Lucerne, 1870), a valuable
contribution to the ancient history of Switzerland. His "Leben
und Bekenntnisse des I. L. S. Schiffmann" (Lucerne, 1861) is
a creditable memorial to his former master, Father Schiffman; the
book also contains important information about the famous
pedagogue, Bishop Sailer, and his school in Switzerland. He also
has a work on the historian Kopp, "Jos. Ant. Koppals
Professor, Dichter, Staatsmann und Historiker" (Lucerne,
1868). The latter had shortly before his death given him his
historical manuscripts, and commissioned him to complete his
partly finished work, "Geschichte der eidgenössischen
Bünde".